The Order of Business is as follows: Item No. 1 from now until 6 p.m. and from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. motion 47. I wish to say that, in consultation with various Opposition spokespersons, it is agreed that tomorrow's debate will be statements on the economy. It will be broadened.
Order of Business.
I hope that the Cathaoirleach's sternness will be tempered with fairness.
It always is.
I have no objection at all to having debates on major issues as we are having today and tomorrow. In fact, it is one of the things we asked for, so I have no complaint on that score. I wish to ask the Leader of the House if he can give us some indication as to what legislation is proposed during this session and, if there is a dearth of Government legislation, there are some excellent home-grown products on the Order Paper. I suggest, for example, the Suicide Bill proposed by Senator Neville, which all sides agreed was a major worthwhile reform and which we were told was being deferred because the Government had their own proposals. If that Bill could be taken next week, if there is no Government legislation, I would be grateful or there are other Bills on the Order Paper in the names of other Members. Perhaps we could have a "home grown week" next week if the Government do not have anything to put before us?
It is essential that we get a programme of legislation. I think that has been raised with the Leader already and he is aware of the views of all sides of the House on the matter. I raised last week the question of a debate on the Green Paper on Education and I am disappointed to note we are now playing second fiddle to the other House on that matter. I realise the Leader has his own views on it, but it is important to put a marker down on that point. It was raised in the first place in this House months back, not just by myself but by many others, including Senator Jackman and it is important that we have a full debate on it.
I ask the Leader of the House to indicate to us that when the debate does take place — and I assume it will be next week — it will be along the same lines as has been planned without precedent for the other House, where there is to be a full, open discussion and debate, with questions being taken by the Minister. Seeing that it has been raised here in the first place and in view of the fact that this forum is the place where it can be most comprehensively discussed, I appeal to the Leader to ensure that we have the opportunity of putting questions to the Minister in the course of an interactive debate, as has been planned for the other House.
Can the Leader let us know when we can expect the debate on the report of the Ombudsman to be resumed? I welcome his decision to broaden the debate tomorrow to include the whole economy. I do so because of the concerns which many of us have in relation to interest rates, and indeed in relation to the problem of houses being repossessed and people having difficulty coping with their mortgages?
Finally, what is the situation in relation to the review of the changes in procedure which took place in the last session, when we can expect that review and what is the likely outcome in relation to further changes and so on?
Can the Leader of the House assure us that, arising from tomorrow's debate on the economy, specific proposals will be looked at by the Government and that a report will be made to this House on what is being done about them? Why I question slightly the value of statements as such is that I fear tomorrow's debate will just be a discussion without any specific detailed submissions being made or a detailed programme of action outlined by a Minister. I would want an assurance from the Leader that something will happen arising from tomorrow's debate, some definite proposals in terms of job creation. I am still not clear that will be the case and perhaps the Leader could assure us on that score.
I ask that the debate on the Green Paper be commenced in this House as soon as possible and that it be given the time requested by several Members when speaking on the Colleges Bill. This is a national issue at the moment and sufficient time should be given for the debate on the Green Paper to allow all of us to state our worries and concerns.
I ask the Leader to keep in constant communication with the Minister for Foreign Affairs to invite him to come to the Seanad, as he has publicly stated he would willingly do, to give us first-hand information about the situation in Somalia, which he has visited on two occasions. I appreciate he is in the North today and could not be with us.
I also ask that there will not be a time limit put by a Minister on the debate on the Green Paper.
I would like to endorse the views of Senators O'Toole and Honan in relation to the format of the debate on the Green Paper. We were to the forefront in getting the Green Paper to Senators and TDs. Already throughout the country the conferences in relation to the Green Paper are well under way and we are late now. I hope there will not be a time limit and that we will get this opportunity of allowing the contributions of the many people in this House involved in education to have a fair hearing from the Minister in relation to queries that will be raised.
I do not like the tenor in which the business is starting in this session. There was a debate in the Dáil last week on the economy and we are going to have a debate this week in the Seanad on the economy. There is a debate on the Green Paper this week in the Dáil and we are going to have a debate on it in the Seanad next week. In other words, we are playing second fiddle to the Dáil on the major issues. At that stage all the steam has gone out of the debate and interest in the subject has waned. It is high time that we in the Seanad took the initiative on major debates in some areas. I suggest that perhaps the Leader of the House would arrange that a major issue, such as the White Paper on Divorce, be introduced in this House rather than having it come to us from the Dáil.
I fully support what Senator' Manning has said in relation to some of the Private Members' Bills on the Order Paper. The Leader of the House might consider the possibility of dealing with some of those Bills. All of the groups have Private Members Bills they would like to see discussed. They have been on the Order Paper for months, if not years, and they could be usefully incorporated into the business of the House in the future.
I would be less concerned than Senator Costello about playing second fiddle because in the nature of things major topics are going to be discussed in both Houses. What is important is that when we come to discuss the Green Paper that we bring to it, as I am sure we will, our own distinctive approach. I would like to support the plea of Senator Honan and other Senators that when the Green Paper is before this House the most important thing is that we get adequate time to discuss it.
I would like some information about the progress of the foreign affairs committee. I realise the Minister for Foreign Affairs has been extremely busy. However, I think it would be useful if we could be given some kind of time scale, because there has been a very clear and firm commitment given in this House that such a committee would be established, and would include Members of this House.
Secondly, I would like to agree with Senator Manning and Senator Costello on Bills other than Government Bills being introduced in this House. Senator Costello made reference to Bills having been on the Order Paper for some months. For example, there is Item No. 10 — the Interpretation (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill — which is dated 1989, three years ago. All sides of the House appreciate this is an appropriate Bill. In fact the former Taoiseach referred in the Dáil over a year ago to the necessity of introducing such legislation. May I ask specifically on this issue if the Leader of the House will make a statement to the House indicating whether there is a consciously formulated Government policy to inhibit the introduction of legislation from any source other than Government. I think it is important that we know this is policy——
The Senator is making a speech.
In practical terms it is an important issue, a Chathaoirligh. I do not really think I am making a speech; I am just making a point. It is over 30 years since a Bill was introduced from anywhere other than the Government side. I think that damages the democratic process of this House.
My final request would be for another statement from the Leader, if he would be so kind, in response to a matter on the Supplementary Order Paper to which I referred last week. I refer to the response of the Government to the judgement I secured in the European Court of Human Rights. The reason I asked for this statement to be on the record of this House is that I understand that last week and also yesterday in the other House the Taoiseach made it clear that this was not a priority. It would be of assistance to me in seeking a debate if the Leader of the House would clearly place on the record of this House what is the Government's attitude in this important matter so that this House could then discuss the Government's response.
With regard to legislation, I mentioned last week that most of the legislation that is in the other House at the moment was first dealt with here. That is one of the problems we have. There are three Bills in the Dáil at the moment that this House initiated and I do not hear any complaints from our colleagues in the other House. In fact, if anyone cared to listen to what was said in the other House, it was very complimentary of the way the Bills were dealt with here, in particular the Electoral Bill, which was debated in the Dáil all day yesterday and last week. Many of the speakers mentioned the contributions made in this House and gave extracts from the speeches of various Senators.
In my view, for Senator Costello to suggest we are playing second fiddle is a poor reflection on all the contributions made here. Equally, when the Green Paper on Education comes to this House, it would be a poor reflection on the Senator's own ability if he felt he was playing second fiddle to the debate that takes place this week in the other House. I would have thought that the Senator, along with other of his colleagues who are very much involved in education, would have plenty to say and contribute.
After the Order of Business I will speak with the Whips and leaders of the groups in regard to how we will approach that debate. I hope that next Thursday we will have a full day debate in the House with the Minister. Unfortunately, the Minister has Questions in the Dáil that day. I want to see how that can be overcome, but I hope we can deal with the Green Paper next Thursday.
In regard to other legislation, the three Bills on the referenda will be here in two weeks time; that will probably be 28 October and 29 October. The Roads Bill and the Land Commission Bill will be before us in the immediate future. In regard to the report of the Ombudsman, whenever the Whips decide to bring that back we will deal with it. With regard to the Seanad changes Senator Upton mentioned, the Committee on Procedure and Privileges are dealing with these on an ongoing basis.
Senator O'Reilly mentioned that he hopes the Minister will take note tomorrow of his contribution on the economy. I am quite certain that over the years every Minister who has come into the House and listened to Senator O'Reilly has taken note of his contributions and has acted on it. I am sure Ministers Cowen and Ahern tomorrow will be very pleased to hear his views and suggestions on the economy and job creation.
In regard to Foreign Affairs, as I mentioned, it is unfortunate for us at the moment that the Minister, Deputy Andrews, is extremely busy. He is very keen to come to the House to give an account of his recent visit and to finalise the formation of a foreign affairs committee. Finally, I hope to have in the coming days a full list of legislation for the rest of the session.
Order of Business agreed to.